Consumers doubt home broadband will be up to scratch in five years' time

Friday, May 13th 2016by Ellen Branagh

Most UK consumers doubt their broadband connection will be able to meet growing demands over the next five years.

A survey carried out for Boosty, a service which boosts broadband speeds using 3G and 4G smartphone connections, revealed that 56% don't think their current broadband will cope with more intensive usage and the amount of devices that will be online.

The survey, which polled more than 2,000 consumers, also found that 52% used their home broadband in some capacity for work purposes, through being self-employed, full-time home working, flexible working, or working out of hours.

According to the poll, 29% of DSL users (still the most common form of broadband) and 30% of fibre users suffer lost productivity when working from home due to connectivity issues.

Six in ten (62%) said poor, unreliable home broadband would lead to an impact on their overall productivity while a further 32% claimed it could lead to a loss of income.

38% reported problems with their broadband after work and at the weekend, while 14% struggled to stay connected to colleagues and friends during the working day.

According to the research, which was carried out by Atomik Research, nearly a third of consumers (32%) said if their home broadband connection failed, they would revert to their smartphone data for a connection, while 22% would use someone else’s wi-fi.

And in an echo of previous research into the importance of broadband to people moving home, 87% of respondents said when buying or renting somewhere, the speed and reliability of its broadband connection would be an important factor in its perceived value.

61% of respondents claimed that, in the event of a lost connection, the loss of online banking, administrative or housekeeping services would cause the most disruption to their lives.

'Disappointed'

This was followed by real-time communication services (30%) and streaming TV and video, such as Netflix (23%).

Paul Evans, CEO of Boosty, said: “Consistent, fast connectivity plays an integral role in both our business and personal lives.

“Yet despite the ongoing efforts of UK broadband providers to deliver superfast fibre connectivity, these survey results clearly demonstrate that consumers are disappointed with the technology.

“People expect a seamless, dependable service so that they continue doing the things they rely on and enjoy.”

He said a decent internet connection had become “a staple” in the modern consumer’s diet.

“Yet, given the increased pressure we place on the internet to go about our day-to-day, if the problem of broadband provision in the UK isn’t addressed, then we’re at risk of being starved of the online activities we rely on.”